1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flask for preparing a cytological suspension based on a fixing solution.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such flasks are used in the prior art for preparing cervical or vaginal cytological suspensions for analysis.
Practitioners take cervical or vaginal samples using special brushes that are detachably secured to handles for manipulating them.
Once the sample has been taken, the practitioner plunges the brush into the flask and detaches the brush from the handle, so as to enable the cells that have been taken to become deposited in the fixing solution.
Nevertheless, undesirable components can also become deposited in the fixing solution, such as, for example: debris recovered by the brush while taking the sample (mucus, aggregations, etc. . . . , squamae coming from the practitioner that become deposited in the flask, in particular during handling of the brush in order to detach the handle, etc.
Unfortunately, those components can be very troublesome during subsequent analysis of the suspension.
The Applicant has already proposed a special flask structure in an attempt to solve those problems.
That flask is described in document FR-A-2 792 331.
According to that document, the flask is provided with an opening for receiving a cytological sample-taking brush that is detachably secured to a handle, and the opening of the flask includes abutment means for the brush, enabling it to be held in the flask and enabling it to be detached from the handle, and at least a perforated portion of web for filtering the suspension while pouring.
Nevertheless, in use, such a flask has also presented a certain number of drawbacks, in particular with the perforated portion of web for filtering the suspension becoming clogged with the above-mentioned components.